


A Promise Kept

by wynnebat



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Friends to Lovers, Hogwarts Eighth Year
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 06:17:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4049362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wynnebat/pseuds/wynnebat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I'm going to end up all alone with twenty kneazles and a shoddy ministry job that involves sending <i>memos</i> all day."</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Promise Kept

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Femmeslash Drabble Tag](https://www.fanfiction.net/topic/44309/60355860/1/Femmeslash-Drabble-Tag) on the [HPFC forums](https://www.fanfiction.net/forum/Harry-Potter-Fanfiction-Challenges/44309/).

"Please don't cry," Hermione said, horrified in a way even the Dark Lord couldn't make her. Her best friends were two boys who wouldn't know tears if they were hit with a bludger (and she'd know, considering how many times she'd visited Ron and Harry in the hospital wing due to Quidditch or Quidditch practice related injuries); her way of comforting them was micromanaging their problems until they went away.

She really did not have the skills to comfort her study partner when said partner broke out in tears during their NEWTs preparation. Especially since Hermione was sure Padma really didn't have anything to worry about; the girl really did live up to the Ravenclaw badge on her robes.

"Do you... want to talk about it?" Hermione tried helplessly, tugging Padma's books and parchment away from her so that at least they weren't ruined by tears. That only brought Padma's tear-stricken face clearer into Hermione's vision, now that she wasn't blocked by a good twenty books.

Padma shook her head rapidly, but the words fell out before she could catch them. "I'm going to end up all alone with twenty kneazles and a shoddy ministry job that involves sending _memos_ all day."

Despite the fact that their friendship wasn't very touchy, Hermione placed a comforting hand on Padma's shoulder. It looked like it helped. She hoped it helped, because honestly, Hermione wasn't sure what more she could do. But she'd never been bad with words, so she tried saying, "You're going to do much too well on your NEWTs to be a clerical worker. You know that, right? You're going to do amazingly well." With a false smugness, she added, "Not as well as me, of course," and smiled when Padma elbowed her in return. "And you don't even like kneazles—I don't know why, since Crookshanks is a lovely creature—so you'll never end up with so many. As for romance, you'll do just fine. Aren't you dating Erica?"

"We broke up," Padma said, sniffling.

That made so much sense, Hermione realized, a little late. "Well. If you don't find anyone by thirty, _I'll_ marry you. If only so that we wouldn't end up alone."

After a moment of surprise, Padma giggled. "Then we'll just be two old maids."

"We'll be married old maids," Hermione said, determinedly. With a smile, she added, "And I'll console myself with having the prettiest wife in the world."

"Not if I do," Padma replied, and Hermione felt her heart flutter.

It would be a couple years before she realized she was utterly doomed, but for now, the seeds of love had only just been planted in her heart.

.

Ten years later, neither of them worried about ending up as old maids. Both had dated, had relationships, and Padma even had an almost-marriage that she'd called off herself. There were people they could've settled down with, could've had children already with, but maybe not loved as much as they'd grown to love each other.

And so, ten years of friendship (which had outlasted romances, Hermione's year of working in France, and the occasional fight), laughter (only occasionally at each other), adventure, and sexual tension later, Padma said, "So, I'm turning thirty soon..."

It was a blatant lie. Padma still had two years until thirty, and Hermione a little less. Still, the number tugged at Hermione's memories, calling up a day long past. Padma's smile was covert, for all that her tone was suggestive, and Hermione knew she could pretend to simply not remember their promise.

But there was no one else she'd rather marry, even if Hermione replied with, "Let's try dating first, shall we?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Complete; no sequel planned.


End file.
